Values Of The Lion
by nakiko
Summary: *Shonen ai ONESHOT* Seifer breaks Zell's heart and he finds comfort in an unusual source :) Please R


Values Of The Lion: .   
  
Hi! This is just a short lil ficette I thought up yesterday after finding a load of old notes I wrote for new fic ideas ages ago :) This one stood out for me and I wrote it until pretty late last night *lol* Well, I hope you all like it and please PLEASE!!! Leave me a review!  
Luv Nakiko  
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"I don't think I've ever met anyone like you.."  
  
...............  
  
"Every time I see you it makes my heart beat faster, stupid eh?"  
  
..............  
  
"I'll understand if you don't feel the same, but I just needed to confess. It's been eating me up inside, just thinking about you. "  
  
.............  
  
"I hope we can still be friends."  
  
............  
  
"Friends!?! This is killin' me....Chickenwuss thought we were.... *cough* oh gimme a sec....*heh heh*"   
  
Seifer doubled over, his face had gone a bright shade of red and he could barely breathe for laughing. The SeeD waved a crumpled piece of paper over his head and straightened up, composing himself for a brief moment before a cruel snigger escaped his lips.   
  
"Man, that's fuckin' funny ya know!" Rajin shouted over the other class members, who still hadn't gotten over how hilarious the letter Seifer held was. Even Fujin's icy exterior had cracked after the first few lovelorn sentences and she lay sprawled out over her desk, banging her fist against the table. Seifer could almost see tears of mirth at the corner of her eye.  
  
"Hey! I'm not finished!" Seifer's voice boomed out across the room and everyone froze, the laughter dying down in the blink of an eye. They were all ready to hear the ending, a second dose of something no one could quite believe had been written.  
  
Seifer coughed, gesturing dramatically, as he found his place again.  
  
"I've liked you ever since we met again at Garden, you always fight for what you believe in, I admire that, Hyne....I feel so dumb....writing this....but I can't say it to your face...you make me nervous, but in a good way..."  
  
............  
  
"Anyway, I'm gonna stop now....I'm sure you have more important things to think about than me....but if we could just spend some time together...as friends....it'd make me really happy...  
Love Zell."  
  
...........  
  
"WAHAHAHAHA! Oh Seifer!! You make me nervous....but in a good way?!!?" Seifer roared with laughter, and leant against the desk at the head of the large classroom. He looked up, taking in the other students with a smug smile. The laughter lasted a full five minutes, dragged out until no one could stand it any longer. Rajin was practically suffocating, but once Fujin had slapped him roughly several times he seemed eager to recover.   
  
" Poor Chickenwuss, how incredibly pathetic." Seifer held a captive audience as he pinned the letter to a nearby noticeboard, a gleam of wicked delight in his eyes.  
  
Before Seifer had taken his hands from the cork surface the automatic doors swished open and a blonde boy skidded to a halt in the doorway, he glanced round worriedly and leant against his knees, panting to catch his breath,   
  
"The lesson.....I made it.....yayy..." He said cheerily between gasps.  
  
When Zell stood back up, the entire class was staring, all eyes were locked on him in the most unnerving way possible. He gawked at them, and scratched the back of his neck embarrasedly.   
  
"What? Is there somethin' on my face? Huh?"   
  
One by one, like dominoes falling, the SeeDs began to laugh again, giggles barely hidden behind careless hands, some pointed and Zell turned to see Seifer, triumphantly posed by the noticeboard.  
  
".....?" Zell blinked, as still as an ice statue of the Goddess Shiva, still not quite comprehending the situation.  
  
Seifer smirked and motioned to where the letter was tacked lopsidedly to the board.   
  
"Nice note, but you really should write to someone who gives a damn." His eyes narrowed, lips curling up into another indulgent smile.  
  
"W-what....?" Zell shook his head almost imperceptibly, as he recognised the note instantly. The declaration of his love, his private message to Seifer left exposed for all to see.  
  
"Oh come on, did you really think I'd ever feel the same way?" Seifer stepped towards him, halting torturously close. He snatched at Zell's head, fisting his hair roughly, enough to rip a sharp cry from the younger boy.  
  
"You make me retch. You thought we were friends? I just pitied you."   
  
Seifer shoved Zell back harshly, watching with relish as he staggered, a hand clutching his burning head. He gazed at Seifer, with wide sea-stained eyes.   
  
"Pitied me....?" He repeated in disbelief.  
  
"Get lost." Seifer replied bluntly and turned away, flashing the crowd a quick smile.   
  
Zell opened his mouth to speak, but the words died on his lips and he ran, slipping through the doors before they had even fully opened. The mocking taunts and laughter rang in his ears all the way down the empty corridor.  
  
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Squall swept his gunblade up fluidly, admiring the way the lights above caught it's silver plains, the intricate lionhead engraved near the hilt, holding a symbol so simple to his mind.  
  
Courage. Honour. Strength .  
  
It made him proud to be a SeeD, eventhough he wasn't quite sure how he'd made it this far.   
  
(My friends....they gave me the lion's strength.....)  
  
He smiled, alittle amused by how philosophical he always became when he trained alone. Today was the only day he and Zell didn't train together and without that blonde bundle of energy to distract him the worldly musings seemed to rise to the surface.  
  
He could have gone to see if Irvine or Nida were in, but they were no doubt still engaged in a battle for Selphie's attention. One day he really ought to tell them that she had a thing for Cid.  
  
"Heh..."  
  
That'd just be cruel.  
  
He drew the gunblade down, swiping across, and turned gracefully, watching the shining blade arch past him, a subtle trail of blue at it's deadly edges.  
  
(........perfect.....)  
  
*Sniff....*  
  
"Huh?" Squall's brow creased as he paused, gunblade in mid-strike, left poised to kill, hanging in the silent air.  
  
*.......cough.....*  
  
"Hey! Is someone there?" He lowered the blade, clipping it onto the catches at his belt. Curiosity had stolen any thought of training from him and he set out to find the source of the noise.  
  
*........sniff....*  
  
Squall wandered, checking behind boulders strewn across the training area path and round trees that bordered it. He stood, stock still for a moment and closed his eyes, sensing, reaching out for whoever...or whatever was with him.  
  
(......got you.....)  
  
Squall spun on his heel and backtracked, creeping stealthily to the edge of the track. He carefully parted the lush foliage and found his prize. Beyond the bushes was a tiny clearing, a den of soft moss, dappled by dusty sunlight from a faux skylight above. And in it's centre, was a familiar figure. Zell lay, his legs curled up under him, against a small, flat rock, his face was firmly buried in his arms. Squall entered the clearing warily, placing his gunblade on the downy floor.   
  
"Zell?" He said gently, sitting down opposite his friend.  
  
The blonde raised his head and looked back at Squall, he seemed almost catatonic for a second and then all in a flurry of hands and fabric he wiped his face, desperately trying to piece together his dignity.  
  
"S-squall, hi....I was just-um...sleeping....bunking class and all...." He rambled, it was about as convincing as Seifer trying to be nice.  
  
Squall raised a tapered eyebrow, his gaze catching Zell's and holding fast, "Don't lie to me. What's wrong?" He asked quietly.  
  
Zell speared him with a look, a shot of naked pain. It was something Squall had never seen in all his years of knowing the martial artist. This was hurt laid bare.  
  
".......It...it's stupid....don't worry bout it....."  
  
"........"  
  
"........I-i....just wrote a love letter....."  
  
Squall nodded, understanding in his voice. He'd written a love letter once....and knew how it turned out sometimes...  
  
"Who to....Selphie? Quistis?"  
  
"Don't tell me...Ellone right?" Squall gave him a sympathetic smile, a refusal from any one of Zell's good friends would have been crushing he was sure.  
  
".......No.....Seifer." Zell admitted, hanging his head in dismay.  
  
Squall's jaw nearly hit the rock, he tried to form a sentence, but his mouth had betrayed him and all that came was a small gasp of shock.  
  
"I know....I should've known...." Zell ran a shaking hand through his spiky hair.   
  
Squall finally found the power to speak, but the words felt useless and clumsy to his ears, "What happened?" He asked, dreading the answer, because he could guess.  
  
Zell laughed, bitter and short, "He told me I made him sick, and he pities me." He closed his eyes, sighing the lightest breath, "He hates me...."  
  
(That bastard....)  
  
The lionheart bit his lip, a horrible taste had welled up in the back of his throat, loathing for Seifer and how easily he could destroy someone's happiness. He rested his elbows on the rock, his hand finding Zell's cheek, a look of suprise in the blonde boy's stare. Squall ran his thumb along Zell's sharp jaw, rubbing tender circles across his olive skin.   
  
"I'm sorry.....I wish I'd been there to stop him....and trust me, I'll make him pay later." Squall's last words held a hint of menace that was strangely comforting. Zell hadn't realised how evil Seifer could be until today.....or how much kindness Squall was capable of.  
  
"Thanks...." He murmured, leaning into Squall's touch, the warmth of his fingers a new-found pleasure.  
  
The final thing Zell saw, before he closed his eyes, was Squall's face, a smile playing on his lips as he leant forward and pressed them against Zell's, sharing in his pain and taking some of it away. And somewhere in this kiss, an unspoken promise was sealed. Squall broke the bond of their lips and moved round the rock, his hands reaching for Zell's and his heart reaching out to help his lost friend before either of them could say a word....  
  
But it didn't matter because there were no words left, only feelings.  
  
Comfort. Love. Understanding.  
  
Those were the true values of the lion and always would be.  
  
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PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave me a lil review even if you hated this!  
It cheers me up to know people read my shit.  
luv nakiko  
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